Lucrezia Stefanini Reveals Painful Doping Test Injury After US Open

Italian tennis player Lucrezia Stefanini revealed an unusual and painful doping test experience during the US Open, stating that a botched blood draw left her with a severe hematoma and pain lasting over a week. Ranked 119th in the world, Stefanini was ultimately forced to withdraw from the WTA 125 tournament in Barranquilla, Colombia, as a result.

Stefanini explained that during the test in New York, the phlebotomist struggled to find her vein. Instead of changing her approach, the technician kept moving the needle around inside her arm while searching for a vein, according to the Italian athlete, who shared photos of the large bruise on social media a week later.

"The result? This lovely bruise, which is still here after a week," Stefanini wrote, noting that the area remains painful even during routine daily activities. She questioned whether this is a normal way to conduct a doping test and if this is how all players are treated, tagging the WTA in her post.

The incident followed a relatively successful US Open campaign for Stefanini, who reached the main draw for the first time, defeated Dayana Yastremska in the opening round, and lost to compatriot Jasmine Paolini in the second round. However, the arm injury derailed her schedule and forced her to skip her next tournament.